Hasani Callwood

Hasani Callwood spent 4 years in New York's foster care system.

Since the age of 17, Hassani has been a resident of the children's village in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Initially he struggled to adapt to being away from loved ones to and trust others, but this dissipated quickly. He credits the foster care system with helping him developed anindependent spirit, build a strong character and also improve his relationship with my family members. A natural leader, he is an active member of four groups at the children’s village: Strictly Business, Youth In Progress, S.T.A.R., and Exodus 100. These groups have helped me generate strong leadership qualities, such as being proactive, becoming a strong advocate for self, leading by example, and establishing a will to help others.

In Strictly Business, Hasani engages in decision-making activities to effectively meet the resident’s needs and set up events for guests and residents. Youths in Progress is a combination of individual foster care leadership boards coming together to give insight andaddress common problems as a whole. S.T.A.R. (students talk about abusive relationships) is an advocacy group for teens that gives insight on abusive relationships and how to recognize dangerous signs of abusive behaviors. The Exodus 100 life skills group is a group of well-established men educating young men on important life skills.

Hassani believes that his experiences can be used as a stepping stone for others to achieve their goals, and he can relate to the conditions foster youths face on a daily basis. He plans to graduate with a BA in nutrition, get his masters degree in kinesiology.